Archive for August, 2009
Review: Logitech Performance MX Mouse
Posted by admin in Technology on August 31st, 2009
This post is syndicated with permission from GamerFront.net
In my free time when I’m not gaming I’m generally programming, working on my own hit game. This involves a lot of traversing through source code, generally many lines of it. In the past this act would get very cumbersome, that all changed the day the Logitech Performance MX landed on my desk. The Hyper-fast scrolling feature allows me to reach from one end of my code to the other with a single flick of the wheel.
The
Logitech
Performance MX mouse also comes equipped with Darkfield Laser Tracking technology that allows it to work on just about any surface. Having a glass desk I found this most intriguing and was surprised at just how well
Logitech delivers on this feature. Having spent time using it in both a work environment and gaming sessions I can’t tell a difference when using it on a mouse pad or the glass surface directly.
This mouse also ships with Logitech’s Unifying receiver, a USB receiver that allows multiple
Logitech devices to be connected. This receiver is meant to be added and forgotten, which is not too hard given the small size and profile of the device.
In case all the above wasn’t enough the mouse features a rechargeable power system that is managed via a micro-USB cable to either your computer or a wall outlet. Unlike most rechargeable usb mice the
Logitech
Performance MX can be used even while charging. Having the option to charge it via a wall outlet while still being able to it makes the
Performance MX an ideal companion for use with a laptop on the go.
After over a week of extensive use I believe I’ve found a new favorite mouse in the
Logitech
Performance MX. It packs a lot of functionality and innovation into contoured design and while the $99.99 MSRP price tag may seem steep at first a quick look back over the features, in addition to the cost of batteries saved, makes for a mouse that’s worth every cent.
West Ham and Millwall supporters fight
A football fan was stabbed during vicious clashes between hundreds of rival fans at a match between Millwall and West Ham last night.
At least 10 people were arrested after bitter rivalry between the two clubs notorious for hooliganism sparked clashes before, during and after the game.
The Carling Cup match had to be suspended when scores of supporters invaded the pitch at Upton Park in east London and bricks and bottles were thrown at officials and police.
Bloody: A fan is removed from the pitch by police at the game between West Ham and Millwall
Face-off: West Ham’s Jack Collison encourages fans to leave after the pitch invasion
Fury: Stewards and police stop Millwall fans spilling over into the West Ham area
The 44-year-old was stabbed in the chest just yards from the West Ham ground and is today in a stable condition in hospital.
Two other fans had to be taken to hospital for treatment to less serious injuries after what police called ‘large-scale’ violence.
Officers and football club officials are now scouring CCTV footage to try and pick out those responsible, who face being banned from matches for life.
Millwall and West Ham have one of the longest-standing rivalries in English football but have rarely been in the same division and have not played each other since 2005.
One West Ham fan said the violent scenes ’seemed to belong to another era’.
Menace: Police officers in riot gear monitor fans outside the ground at Upton Park
Running battles: Riot police try to control hundreds of fans outside a pub
Pitch battle: A fan receives treatment after being hit by a bottle
Up to 1,000 riot police battled to contain the clashes when the fighting started shortly after 6pm as thousands of fans made their way to the ground.
Trouble flared before the match began at 7.45pm as fans started punching each other and throwing bricks and bottles.
John Whittingham, 35, a caretaker who lives near the ground, said: ‘There were lots of scuffles and fights before the game. I saw a couple of people with bloody faces.
‘People were throwing bricks but I haven’t got a clue where they were finding them. Some people were trying to rip bollards off the pavement. There were also some fires lit.’
Tensions then completely boiled over as West Ham took the lead in extra time and around 60 fans ran on to the pitch.
One Millwall fan said: ‘It was like a war zone outside the stadium. I brought my kids with me and they’ve seen some violence that is indescribable.’
Chaos: Fans invaded the pitch during the match which had to be temporarily suspended in extra time
Mayhem: Fans storm the pitch at the end of the Carling Cup match
Among the spectators in the ground was actress Jaime Winstone, engaged to Lily Allen’s brother Alfie.
Miss Allen begged on social-networking website Twitter: ‘Millwall-WestHam, stop fighting, my Jaime is there. If anything happens to her… I don’t know, just stop it!’
Police and stewards had battled to keep the two sets of fans apart during the game as they taunted one another as news of the fighting outside filtered through.
But when the game ended, hundreds of fan invaded the pitch again and had to be forcibly removed.
A 56-year-old man said: ‘There were a lot of lunatics around. The thing is, between these two sets of fans, it’s hatred. The teams haven’t played each other for so long so I suppose it was always going to kick off.’
The manager of a nearby kebab shop said: ‘All hell broke loose, it was very frightening. It’s not every day you see stuff like that. There were West Ham fans on one side and Millwall on the other. They were being kept apart by the police.
‘There were West Ham fans for as far as you could see along the street. Bottles and bricks were being thrown from the back and some were hitting West Ham fans at the front. There were loads of people with blooded faces.’
Riled up: Fans and stewards clash
Out of control: An injured steward with his arm in a sling is ushered away by riot police inside the ground
A Football Association spokesman said: ‘We absolutely condemn all of the disorder that has occurred at Upton Park this evening both inside and outside of the ground.
‘We will be working with all parties, including the police and clubs, to establish the facts surrounding tonight’s events. We strongly expect all culprits to be banned from football for life. They have no place in our game.’
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola also spoke of his shock, saying: ‘It’s certainly not good for football. I was completely shocked. Totally. I knew it was a game that meant a lot for the two sets of supporters, but I didn’t imagine it like this.
‘What can I say? I’m a sport man. I love the game. I love to go on the pitch and try and make it exciting for the supporters and enjoyable for everybody to watch. This was beyond my powers.’
Millwall boss Kenny Jackett added: ‘There were no Millwall fans on the pitch. They stayed where they were supposed to. There were a lot of people on the pitch. The lads gathered together and came to the sides, as they should have.
‘I wasn’t aware of the stabbing outside the ground. I’m very sad to hear that. We’ve got a passionate game in this country, but when it oversteps the mark then things have to be done.’
The clashes are the worst violence between the clubs for decades. Formed by rival dockers in London’s East End in the late 19th century, the two have long been known for their rivalry.
Nokia n97 review of cnet
Posted by admin in Technology on August 23rd, 2009
Here is a review of nokia n97 by cnet
Product summary
The good: The Nokia N97 features a touch screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, and 32GB of internal flash memory. The smartphone also offers 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS and comes equipped with a 5-megapixel camera.
The bad: The N97’s touch user interface isn’t well integrated and can be inconsistent and confusing, especially compared with the competition. We would have preferred a capacitive touch screen instead of resistive.
The bottom line: While the Nokia N97 is packed with features and offers the freedom of an unlocked phone, its clunky touch interface, sky-high price tag, and outdated operating system make it hard to recommend when there are better touch-screen smartphones on the market.
Specifications: OS provided: Symbian 60 ; Talk time: Up to 400 min ; RAM installed size: 32 GB
What should we expect from Fm 2010
Posted by admin in Entertainment on August 23rd, 2009
Sports Interactive & SEGA® Europe Ltd. can today announce that Football Manager™ 2010 for PC and Apple Macintosh, and Football Manager™ Handheld 2010 for Sony PSP will be released on October 30th.
Football Manager 2009 is the most successful in the Football Manager series to date, clocking up 22 weeks at No.1 in the UK (PC charts) and selling in excess of 1 million copies worldwide, as well as being voted the 2nd best video game of all time in a recent Radio 1 poll.
According to data gathered from Football Manager 2009, people played the game for an average of 240 hours each and developer Sports Interactive has spent the last year working closely with consumers and the Football Manager community to implement key improvements to this year’s game. Football Manager 2010 features new tools and changes across the board including some big additions to improve ease of use, navigation and feedback from the game with the introduction of a brand new match tactics system, the debut of a Match Analysis tool, a completely new look and new User Interface among other features.
“We have worked very hard with the Football Manager community to target not only the areas of the game that needed re-working but also what we could add to improve what’s already there. We’ve also conducted extensive usability studies which has led us to overhaul the whole presentation of the game, which we’re really excited about,” said Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive. “There has been a lot of polish to existing areas of the game but it’s also driven us to introduce changes to answer some of the feedback. We’re very confident that having done that we will deliver the very best Football Manager to date in October.”
The introduction of a Tactics Creator makes it easier to instruct the team to play the way the manager wants, alongside the introduction of touchline ’shouts’ and quick tactic changes for instantly altering your team’s playing style during the match. Working with coaches from various levels of football, alongside some of the Football Manager communities most respected independent tacticians, the game now has an extensive array of pre-set tactical options allowing the user to select a player’s role in the team (such as ‘Ball winning midfielder’ or ‘Deep lying playmaker’), however the option to use the old ’slider’ controls remains.
Feedback from matches has been improved to give the user better insight into where their team is going wrong, or right. A new Match Analysis tool lets players see where shots, passes, crosses, headers, tackles, fouls and interceptions have been made on the field for all players on the pitch. Managers can view this analysis both live in-game and post match, allowing them to pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of both their team and their opponent’s and adjust their tactics accordingly.
Football Manager 2010 features a brand new User Interface, with a light and a dark skin to choose from as part of a vibrant new look and has undergone a complete navigational overhaul. The side bar navigation of previous years has been replaced by an intuitive tab system at the top of the screen, making Football Manager’s famed depth easier to navigate and will make the game more accessible to new players.
A brand new Data Editor will allow the addition of new divisions to existing leagues and of entirely new leagues as well as making it easier than ever to keep the game up to date, and do so for free. The delivery of information to the manager has been refined with users now able to sign up to the News Centre, an in-game subscription based newspaper that lets you get the news that you want about the football world and filter out the stories that you do not need, making the football world as immersive as you want it to be.
Following the debut of a 3D match view in Football Manager 2009, this year’s release sees a revamp with improved AI, over 100 new animations for the 3D pitch view, new stadiums, crowds, realistic pitch degradation and better lighting, creating an even more realistic match experience.
Further new features will be announced via a series of blogs in the months leading up to the game’s October 30th release date which will ensure that Football Manager retains its position as the most realistic, most played, highest reviewed and best selling football management simulation in the world.
